Heading into the fourth quarter, the Knights were on top, 46-31.

Jonathon Willenborg hit a shot from behind the arc and Collin Westendorf drove to the basket for a score, keeping the Bulldogs within 14 points, 50-36. But Troy Triad then responded with a 9-0 run that sealed the victory.

In the early moments of the game, things looked promising for St. Anthony. Max Koenig hit a jumper and added a pair of free throws and both Michael Martelli and Brock Fearday scored, giving the Bulldogs an 8-0 lead just three minutes into the game.

But then the Knights switched defenses and went to a half-court zone trap which quickly turned the tide. With three players – 6’5”, 6’5” and 6’4” -- trapping on the perimeter, the Bulldogs had a difficult time getting their offense going and even getting a decent shot off.

“Their length, strength and speed gave us problems,” Rincker noted. “Rather than playing keep-away, trying to frustrate them and maybe wear them down, we started playing too quick. That defense certainly changed the game.”

By the end of the opening eight minutes, the two teams were tied 10-10.

A basket by Griffin Sehy and two free throws from Fearday gave the Bulldogs a slim 14-13 edge, but three straight three-pointers by Hitt, followed by another three from Jake Stewart, gave the Knights an eight-point advantage, 22-14.

The Bulldogs, however, put together a scoring spurt of their own. Fearday knocked down a pair of threes and Koenig added another from long range. Fearday then hit a short jumper that knotted the scored at 25-25. A three by Stewart just before the buzzer sent Troy Triad to the locker room with a 25-22 edge at halftime.

“Overall, I was pleased with how we played, especially physically,” Rincker said. “I felt like we really competed on the glass, which has been a challenge for us. I’m not pleased with the outcome or the score, but I am pleased with how we competed. That’s a very good team we played today.”

The Knights improved to 24-6 on the season. Hitt led them with a game-high 18 points.

Fearday was the only St. Anthony player to crack double figures, finishing with 16 points. The Bulldogs shot 41 percent overall, connecting on 14-of-34 attempts. They were 4-for-10 from three-point range and 7-for-9 at the foul line.

St. Anthony dipped to 18-11 on the season. The Bulldogs will travel to Altamont on Tuesday night for an important conference match-up. The Indians are undefeated in the league and can clinch the NTC crown with a win, while the Bulldogs need a victory to earn a share of the title.